05-15-89 SpecialMINUTES
SPECIAL MEETING OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
SOUTH TAHOE PUBLIC UTILITY DISTRICT
MAY 15, 1989
The Board of Directors of the South Tahoe Public Utility District met
in a special session, May 15, 1989, 4:30 PM, 1900 Lake Tahoe Blvd.,
City Council Chambers.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS:
Chairman Mason, Directors Jones, Olson,
Walker and Sinclair present
STAFF:
Cofer, Baer, Fischer, Mamath, Schroeder,
Gilbert, Schnakenberg, Hydrick, Bonnet,
Miller, Attorneys Weidman and Rollston
GUESTS:
Richard Solbrig-John Carollo Engineers,
Tahoe Keys home owners: Gary Vannice,
Roger Adams, Jerry Lucas, Bob Lopez,
Peter Whitney, and Arnie Leonard-President
Tahoe Keys Board of Directors and other
Tahoe Keys residents who did not wish to
sign the registration.
Director Jones disqualified himself from
discussion and removed himself from the
podium.
Manager Cofer stated, due to the wording
in the May 10, 1989 letter from TKPOA*
which withdrew the prior offer of assis-
tance in resolving the potential exposure
of the sewer line and was now offering
the sum of $25,000 toward District's
efforts to resolve same, he was requesting
direction from the Board.
Director Olson requested a recommendation
from Manager Cofer. Manager Cofer said he
felt the District should proceed to protect
the sewer line at its present elevation by
placing a 10-12" diameter pipe upstream and
downstream of the sewer line crossing at a
slightly higher elevation than the existing
sewer line; with warning signs posted for
boat traffic.
ROLL CALL
TAHOE KEYS LAGOON SEWER LINE
(EXTENDING FROM THE VENICE
DRIVE PUMP STATION TO THE
CRYSTAL COURT LAGOON)
*Letter attached and becomes a part of these minutes by reference herein.
SPECIAL BOARD MEETING MINUTES - MAY 15, 1989 Page 2
Manager Cofer and Attorney Rollston
responded to questions from the Board
regarding liability exposure, installa-
tion depth Of the protecting pipe and
the costs to the District.
Chairman Mason invited comments from
the Tahoe Keys residents in the audience.
Those responding were:
Gary Vannice, Roger Adams, Jerry Lucas,
Bob Lopez, Peter Whitney and Arnie
Leonard: The consensus of their com-
ments was the proposed staff recom-
mendation devalued the affected homes
because property values were predicated
on lake access; they threatened a law
suit against the District; they felt
the District was dodging responsibility;
and questioned the reason for the rise
in the original cost estimate for low-
ering the sewer pipeline and the 50/50
split in costs to accomplish same.
Attorney Rollston noted the District
was required by law to pay the prevail-
ing wage rates resulting in a higher
cost for the project than the original
estimate.
Director Olson stated the reason District
staff recommended the protection of the
sewer pipeline, only, was because by
its May 10, 1989 letter, TKPOA withdrew
from the MOU which shared the costs of
lowering the sewer pipeline on a 50/50
basis. He further directed District
staff to return to negotiations with
the TKPOA Board of Directors on the
MOU.
Attorney Rollston stated the MOU was
drafted and available which addressed
a 50/50 split in costs for lowering
the sewer pipeline.
Arnie Leonard, President-TKPOA, stated
they had received 4 MOU's and needed to
know which one District staff is deal-
ing with. Furthe~ he requested the
District be responsible for carrying
out the project, including getting the
TAHOE KEYS LAGOON SEWER LINE
(continued)
SPECIAL BOARD MEETING MINUTES - MAY 15, 1989 . ~.~ge 3
permits. He did not think it was
fair to expect the TKPOA to be re-
sponsible for the project.
TAHOE KEYS LAGOON SEWER LINE
(continued)
Director Walker said he did not agree
with the present MOU and felt the
affected home owners should pay $227/ea
to resolve the problem; he did not feel
it was the District's responsibility,
but this was not his final word.
Manager Cofer said another issue which
needed to be addressed at this time was
the schedule to complete the work. He
asked for input from Gary Schnakenberg,
STPUD Engineering Associate. Gary
reported Lukins Water Co. (the contractor
who gave the price quote for the project)
was working on another Keys project and
would not be able to start this project
until June 5th. Chairman Mason asked
if there would be a problem getting the
TRPA permits by the June 5th date. Gary
said TRPA would consider this an emergency
situation as long as the solution to the
existing problem was lowering the sewer
pipeline, thus expediting the permit
process.
Arnie Leonard stated he wanted the District
to disregard his May 10th, 5:00 PM deadline
letter; he said TKPOA was open, now, for
MOU's and to work with District staff to
work together to resolve this problem.
Gary Vannice requested some incentives/dis-
incentives be included in the contract to
expedite completion of the lowering of the
sewer pipeline.
Manager Cofer requested the Board withhold
action until the next regular board meeting,
May 18, 1989.
No Board Action.
5:15 PM
ADJOURNMENT
ATTEST:
ROBERT MASON, CHAIRMAN OF BOARD
SOUTH TAHOE PUBLIC UTILITY DISTRICT
PAT A. MAM~THI CLERK OF BOARD
SOUTH TAHOE PUBLIC UTILITY DISTRICT
TAHOE
hoe
KEYS PROPERTY C)INNERS' ASSOCIATION
May 10, 1989
South Tahoe Public Utility District
Mr. James Corer
Post Office Box UA
South Lake Tahoe, CA 95705
Dear Mr. Cofer,
TKPOA Board has acted in good faith for sometime now in hopes
of an expeditious solution or cooperative end to the
relocation of the District's sewer pipe, that obviously
remains a hazard to public waterway navigation with vast
health and environment impact.
Negative pressures, negative remarks, and negative Keys
property owners input as to the use of their monies has been
made. It appears to be a stalemate on your Boards behalf to
reach an exceptable expeditious M.O.U. All of these factors
have brought us to realize beyond a doubt, the sewer pipe in
the public waterway remains solely the District's responsi-
bility.
In light of the new specification plans regarding
construction, prevailing wage stipulations, engineering
enforcement of which we have no working knowledge or control.
We obviously are no longer in accord with our first offer to
formulate an exceptable M.O.U. with the District. Therefore,
we withdraw any prior offers of assistance to the District.
We, however, propose this new offering of monitary
contribution toward your plumbing corrective actions at the
location in question. So you have total control of the
engineering undertaking and the complete project without
TKPOA interference.
P.O. BOX 10470, SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, CA. 95731 · PHONE (916) 541-4377
South Tahoe Public Utility District
May 10, 1989
Page two...
We offer the sum of $25,000.00 cash toward your efforts to
be used for this project as needed, to be paid upon demand to
your district within 10 working days of project completion.
This offer will be considered void if we do not hear in
writing from you by May 15, 1989 accepting TKPOA's proposal.
Respectfully,
Arnie Leonard, President
Tahoe Keys Board of Directors
cc:. Peter Whitney, Chiarman Water Quality Committee
Ray McCarty, Operations Director TKPOA
Lew Feldman, Esq.
TRPA
Lahontan